Adjuster for supporting legs



Feb. 2l, 1933.

J. J, PETERS ADJUSTER FOR SUPPORTING LEGS Filed Dec. 6, 1950 :icEincErF-E nl 9 um Patented Feb. 2l, 1933 UNITED STATES JOHN J. PETERS, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

inJUsrEn ron sUrroRTING LEGS Application led December 6, 1930. Serial No. 500,479.

This invention relates to adjusting and leveling devices adapted to be attached to supporting legs such as the legs'of tables or cabinets and, more particularly, to such de'- vices which may be attached to thebottom of such legs without trimming or otherwise marring the legs and having one member iixedly secured to the bottom of' the leg with which the device `is used. Y Y One of the objects of the invention is to provide a leveling device comprising a cylindrical, exteriorly threaded member, a cooperating, interiorly threaded member rotatably engaging therewith to effect relative vertical movement between the members, andV to provide means Ior fixedly securing the exteriorly threaded member .to the bottom of a table leg or the like.

Another `object is to provide a leveling device as described and to also provide a protector cap adapted to be Secured to the exteriorly threaded member and having a skirtl portionnroviding an interior opening in the cap for receiving the interiorly threaded cooperating member.

Another object is to provide a leveling device as described, in which the exteriorly threaded member is provided with a vertically extending groove and the interiorly threaded member' is provided fwith a plunger, Athe groove being provided with a side wall of increasing depth with which the plunger cooperates to llimit the relative vertical movement of the two members.

I Another object is to provide such a level-I ing device in which the outer cooperating member is provided with a convex lower face to facilitate turning of said member and movement of the article to which the device is attached.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists inthe parts, improve` ments and combinations more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates vembodiments ofthe invention: Y

Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the device attached to the bottom of a support-` ing leg. f Y.

Figure 2 is an inverted horizontal section onl the lineQ-Q of Figure l,

Figure 3 is an inverted' horizontal section on the line B-SYO liigurel l,

Figure 4 Vis an elevation, partly in sec- 55 tion, of a modied form of leveling device attached to a leg.`

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 4, and' Figure 6 is a perspective view of the level- 60 ing device showing the protector cap secured to the inner member.

The construction shown provides means whereby the device'may be attached to the bottom of a leg without trimming or otherwise marring the leg and also rovides means whereby one` of a pair of vscrewthreaded cooperating members can be fixedly secured to thebottom of the leg.

fThe device is-shown attached to the bottom of a leg l, and comprises a hollowl cylindrical member V2, lthe upper end of which terminates in an inwardly turned an? nular flange 3, adapted to vprovide an opening at 4. Member 2,1 is adapted to be lixedly secured to the bottom' of the leg l. In'the form shown a screw is provided to effect this result.V The shank 5 of the screw passes thru the opening ata, and takes into-the bottom of the leor l. The screw carries means engaging theV underside ofrlange 3. The headed end vof thescrew may engage the fiange vto Vfix the member2 to the table leg, or, as shown, Washers 6 may be interposed between the screw head and the flange. S5 Carried on member 2, is a cooperating member 8, provided witha central bore which is interiorly threadedv at 8a to engage with the exterior threads 7 `of member 2. Member 8, thus rotatably engages member 2, and the rotation of this member effects relative vertical movement between theV members.

Means are provided foi-.protecting the working parts of the device. y

As illustrated, a protector cap is provided for the working parts, comprising a horizon-l tal body portion 10, having a central opening, the wall of which is interiorly lthreaded to'rengage the exterior threads 7 of the member 2..k The protector cap is also provided with an annular skirt portion 12 forming the Wall of a recess Within which the cooperating member 8, operates.

The exterior threading of member 2 and interior threading of member 8 enables several advantages, in a device of this nature, to be secured, and the protectoi` cap for the working parts improves the results obtained. It will be seen that the device has no exposed exterior screw threading. Such exposed threading is objectionable for if the threads extend thruout the length of the members, a number of sharp edges are exposed upon which clothing may catch and to which portions of cleaning rags lor mops may adhere to cause binding of the parts. Cn the other hand, if the threads, to reduce such faults, do not extend Jtor a considerable portion of the length of the member, then the adjustment range is considerably curtailed. The construction herein described avoids binding as by collection of dust or other foreign matter, has no exposed threads upon which clothing may be caught, and is provided with a protector cap which avoids the collection of dust upon the parts.

Means are provided for securing the protector cap to the exteriorly threaded member 2, to prevent their relative rotation. These means are also utilized to assist in {ixedly securing both members to the bottom of a supporting leg.

As shown, the lupper face of the horizontal portion 10 of the cap and the flange 3, of member 2, after these parts are assembled together, are centerpunched as shown at 13. This operation provides a iirm union between the cap and member 2 and prevents their relative rotation.

The raised points of metals, shown at 14, resulting from the center-punching can be pressed into the bottom of a table leg to assist in fixedly securing the cap and the exteriorly threaded member to the leg.

Means are provided for limiting the relative vertical movement between members 2 and 8, so as to prevent member 8 from becoming completely disengaged from member 2.

As shown, member 2 is provided with a vertical .groove 15. This groove is cut to incline downwardly and inwardly and is also cut to incline inwardly toward the center, thus providing the groove with a side wall the depth of which increases downwardly along member 2. Cooperating member 8 is provided with a horizontal passage which extends from the central bore to the outer face thereof. Carried in this passage is a plunger 16, adapted to be pressed into the groove by a spring 17 and set screw 18. As member 8, is turned to cause members 8. and 2 to move apart, plunger 16 is spring pressed more deeply int-o the deepening groove 15, until near the lower end of the groove it is held by the increased depth of the side wall 15a and further movement of the members in a direction apart Jfrom each other, 1s prevented. Conversely, member 8, can be rotated to cause relative movement between members 2 and 8, in a direction toward each other, without hindrance, the plunger, upon such rotation, being pressed back, compresslng the spring, and moving out of the groove, and encountering less depth oi' side wall 15a. By this construction member 8 is at all times mounted upon member 2 and cannot become completely disengaged therefrom.

Means are also provided for facilitating the movement of the article from place to place and Jfor decreasing the resistance offered by the floor to such movement.

1n the Jform shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lower face 19 of the member 8 is convex, which enables the article to which the device is attached to be easily slid from place to place without marring the floor, while in Figure t, the lower face 21 of a cooperating member 2O is convex and is provided at 22 with a central opening within which a ball bearing 23 is contained. This construction further decreases the resistance offered by the floor and enables the article to which the device is attached to be easily rolled from place to place without marring the tloor or the covering thereon.

Having thus described the construction, its assembly and operation will be clear. Before the device is attached to a leg the protector cap is threaded on the member 2 and the cap and member are centerpunched as described herein to join the two together and prevent their relative rotation. The shank of the screw is then passed thru the opening in member 2 and forced upwardly thru the bottom of the leg, while the raised points of the centerpunched portion are also pressed into the table leg, to xedly secure the cap and member 2 to the bottom of the leg. Cooperating member 8 is then threaded on cylindrical member 2. This completes the assembly and attachment of the device to a supporting leg. Thereafter, it is only necessary to rota-te member 8 to bring about relative vertical movement between members 2 and 8, and thus effect the desired adjustment of the article.

What I claim is:

1. An adjuster for supporting legs comprising a cylindrical, exteriorly threaded member, a cooperating, interiorly threaded member rotatably engaging therewith for effecting relative vertical movement between the members, an exterior vertical groove in said exteriorly threaded member, said groove having a side wall increasing in depth toward the lower end of the member, a spring pressed plunger carried by said cooperating member adapted to engage said side wall said members,

and limit the relative vertical movement of said members, and means for securing the exteriorly threaded member to the bottom of a supporting leg. y 2. An adjuster for supporting legs comprising a cylindrical, exteriorly threaded member, a cooperating interiorly threaded member rotatably engaging therewith, a protector cap adapted to be threaded on said exteriorly threaded member, means for looking said Cap and exteriorly threaded member together, a skirt portion on said cap extending about said exteriorly threaded member and its cooperating member, and means `for lixedly securing the exteriorly threaded member to the bottom of a supporting leg. Y

3. An adjuster for supporting legs oomprising a Cylindrical, exteriorly threaded member, a cooperating, interiorly threaded member rotatably engaging therewith for effecting relative vertical movement between a protector cap adapted to be threaded on lthe exteriorly threaded member and to be locked thereto, a skirt portion on said cap extending about said members, means vfor limiting the relative vertical movement of said members, and means for fixedly securing the exteriorly threaded member to the bottom of a supporting leg.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN J. PETERS. 

